Everyday Use

Question #4- The mother's refusal to allow Dee to have the quilt represents a permanent change. The beginning of the story is a fantasy in which she is able to be the polite and fashionable mother that Dee would like her to be. This shows her unchallenged support of Dee in her attempts to grow out into the world and live more than the simplistic lifestyle of her mother and younger sister. However, Dee comes back as a completely changed person seeking to embrace her grassroots heritage, and her mother no longer aims to please her. She realizes that Dee's lofty life goals are no more valuable than Maggie's more simplistic ones. She has never realized this before because Dee has always tried to get away from her heritage. The details such as her questioning why Dee changed her name and the distance between them foreshadow this event. It represents an important change not only for the mother, but for Dee, who is used to getting her way over her younger sister.